Car-coupling.



vJOI-IN L. FITZPATRICK AND LOUIS S. MOORE, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

OAR-courLrNG.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 1911.` Application filed August 12, 1910.

Serial No. 576,826.

` To all whom it may concern:

\ Be it known that we, JOHN L. FITZPATRIOK and LoUrs S. MOORE, citizens of the United States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Car- Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car couplers of that type utilizing links for the purpose of holding the coupler headsl together.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means whereby a link may be supported within the coupler head and held projected beyond the open end thereof in such position that, when two couplers are brought together, the projecting portion of the link will be properly directed into the opposed coupler so as to be engaged by the coupling pin.

A further object is to provide improved means for supporting the coupling pin in set position prior to the insertion of the link into the coupler.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the inventionhas been shown.

In said drawings z-Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a car coupler constructed in accordance with the present invention, the link being shown supported therein and projecting therebeyond. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the positions of the parts when the link is wit-hdrawn and the coupling pin is elevated. Fig. 3 is a section on line A-B Fig. 1, the upper spring being removed. Fig. 4 is a view, on a reduced scale of the means employed for lifting the coupling pin.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the head of the coupler, the same having a compartment 2 therein, the front end of which is open as shown at 3. A web 4 extends into said compartment from the back wall thereof and pivotally mounted upon the upper and lower portions of this web are upper and lower gripping jaws 5 each of which has a stud 6 eX- tending therefrom and which is engaged by one end of a spring 7, the said spring bearing upon one of the walls of the compartcally spread apart when a link is brought into contact with the beveled faces. The two jaws 5 are formed with apertures 9 designed, when the jaws are parallel, to aline with an opening 10 formed in the top of the head 1 and another opening 11 formed in the bottom thereof. The opening 10 has a groove 12 formed longitudinally in the wall thereof and this groove is adapted to receive a key 13 extending from a coupling pin 14 which is slidably mounted within the opening 10 and is held against rotation by the key 13.

The pin 14 may be raised by means of a chain 15 connected to the upper end thereof and attached to an arm 16 which extends from a revoluble rod 17. This rod may be operated by means of a handle 18 extending therefrom or in any other suitable manner.

The link used in connect-ion with the coupler may be of any form desired but is preferably made up of a flat metal bar 19 having openings 20 therein adjacent its ends.

In using the coupler herein described the pin 14 is elevated above the upper jaw 5 and, when released, is supported by the normally inclined upper face of the upper jaw and close to the opening 9 within said jaw. A link 19 is then forced between the jaws until the opening therein is brought between the openings 9 in the two jaws whereupon the pin 14 will drop by gravity through the openings 9 and link and into the opening 11. The jaws will thus clamp upon the link and hold it rigidly, the said link being extended through the open face of the head 1 and beyond said face. It will thus be seen that the link is forced into a coupler head in which the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 2, the said link will spread the jaws apart and bring the upper opening 9 into register with the opening 10 so as to permit the pin 14 to drop into and through the link 19 as soon as the opening 2O shall have assumed a position between the openings 9. The pin will then drop by gravity through the link and into its lower position as shown in Fig. 1 and the two couplers will thus be securely held together.

Importance is attached to the provision of the two spring pressed jaws as the same serve to hold the link extended straight out from the coupler head and in position to pass freely into the opposed head 1.

What is claimed is :wd

A car coupler including a head having a compartment7 a web within the compartment and upon the back wall thereof, upper and lower gripping jaws pivotally mounted upon the web and having outstanding studs, springs engaging the studs and bearing against the head to hold the aws normally in Contact at their free ends, said ends diverging, there being apertures within the jaws adapted to aline when the jaws are fl/ A means upon the pin and slidably engaging the head for limiting the upward movement of the pin and holding said pin against rotation, and a link insertible between the jaws y to shift them into parallel relation and bring the apertures into register with the pin.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto afxed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. FITZPATRIOK. LOUIS S. MOORE.

l/Vitnesses:

E. lV. WRIGHT, W. LM. BLAKEY.

Copies oi' this patent may be obtained for live vcents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

